Sliding door locking device

ABSTRACT

A sliding door locking device having a latch plate, a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in the doors for engaging the latch plate, and a keeper plate arrangeable restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate. The latter is mounted on one of the doors, and is provided with a threaded hole which is engaged by threads on the bolt member. The hole in the latch plate is aligned with an aperture in its associated door, the aperture in the door being alignable with a similar aperture provided in the other door. The keeper plate is provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and a slot in the keeper plate receives a head of the bolt member to prevent same from unthreading from the latch plate. An eye in the head of the bolt member may receive a shackle, and the like, which prevents the keeper plate from being removed from its bolt member retaining position.

451 Dec. 2, 1975 1 SLIDING DOOR LOCKING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Harold Roy Berg, 82 Plus 4 Pemberton St.. Revere, Mass. 02151 [22] Filed: Sept. 17. 1974 1211 Appl. No.: 506,900

[52] US. Cl. 70/13; 70/95; 292/D1G. 46 [51] Int. Cl. EOSB 65/48 [58] Field of Search 70/3, 4, 6,11,13,14, 70/90, 99, 95, 96; 151/54, 68; 85/9; 292/251, 282, DIG. 46

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 608,892 8/1898 Morrax 292/251 710.896 10/1902 Samson.... 70/90 XR 896,149 8/1908 Piquotte 292/150 1,066,347 7/1913 Voggenreiter 70/90 XR 1,920,669 8/1933 Riccelli 70/90 XR 3,136,147 6/1964 Noster 70/90 3,466,965 9/1969 McCarthy 151/68 XR FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,403,086 5/1965 France 292/251 Primary E.\'aminerRobert L. Wolfe A sliding door locking device having a latch plate, a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in the doors for engaging the latch plate, and a keeper plate arrangeable restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate. The latter is mounted on one of the doors, and is provided with a threaded hole which is engaged by threads on the bolt member. The hole in the latch plate is aligned with an aperture in its associated door, the aperture in the door being alignable with a similar aperture provided in the other door. The keeper plate is provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors. and a slot in the keeper plate receives a head of the bolt member to prevent same from unthreading from the latch plate. An eye in the head of the bolt member may receive a shackle, and the like, which prevents the keeper plate from being removed from its bolt member retaining position.

ABSTRACT 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 SLIDING DOOR LOCKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a locking device, and particularly to, a device which permits the locking together of associated sliding doors, and the like.

2. Description ofthe Prior Art It is known generally to provide locks based on an axially sliding pin in order to retain sliding elements such as window sashes in a predetermined position. More particularly, it is known to employ such locks to retain a pair of relatively sliding elements in a predetermined relationship with respect to one another. In'general, however, the known locks of the latter kind tend to be unduly complicated and expensive, as well as difficult to use.

Prior patents believed to be pertinent to the present invention are as follows:

710,896 5. D. Samson Oct. 7, 1902 999,891 M. Shephard Aug. 8, 1911 1,066,347 L. Voggenreiter July 1, I913 1,843,402 W. D. Poole Feb. 2, 1932 3,071,957 .1. H. Golub Jan. 8, 1963 3,094,861 L. B. Sayles June 25, 1963 3,429,151 R. l. N. Weingart Feb. 25, 1969 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present-invention to provide a simple yet reliable locking device for sliding doors, and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a tamperproof sliding door locking device.

These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by providing a sliding door looking device having: a latch plate; a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in sliding doors to be locked for engaging the latch plate, the latter being arranged adjacent one of the doors; and a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate.

A preferred latch plate according to the present invention is provided with a threaded hole. The bolt member is a headed, threaded bolt which threadingly engages in the threaded hole of the latch plate, with the latter being mounted on one of the doors such that the threaded hole is aligned with an aperture associated with the particular door.

A preferred keeper plate according to the present invention is provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors than that with which the latch plate is associated. A slot is advantageously arranged in the keeper plate for receiving the head of the bolt which forms the bolt member. An eye arranged in the bolt head may receive a shackle, and the like, which retains the keeper plate in a position wherein the bolt is prevented from unthreading from the latch plate by reason of the bolt head being matingly received in the slot provided in the keeper plate.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had 2 to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a locking device according to the present invention associated with a pair of sliding doors.

FIG. 2-is an exploded, perspective view showing a locking device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken generally along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a sliding door locking device 10 according to the present invention is shown locking a pair of conventional sliding doors 12 and 14, and the like. Device 10 includes a latch plate 16, a bolt member 18 arrangeable in aligned apertures in doors 12, 14 so as to engage latch plate 16, and a keeper plate 20 arrangeable for restraining bolt member 18 and maintaining same in engagement with latch plate 16.

Latch plate 16 is generally in the form of a disc provided with a threaded hole 22 substantially centrally thereof. Hole 22 is flanked by a pairof openings 23 which permit conventional screws 24 to thread into threaded bores 25 formed in a conventional manner in rail 26 of door 14. Hole 22 is aligned with an aperture 27 also provided in rail 26. As can be seen from FIG. 3 of the drawings, latch plate 16 is mounted on rail 26 of door 14 by screws 24 such that aperture 27 is aligned with hole 22.

Keeper plate 20 is provided with, for example, a pair of pins 28 selectively arrangeable in associated recesses 30 provided in a rail 32 of door 12. It will be appreciated that the surfaces in which bores 25 and recesses 30 are provided are those surfaces of respective rails 26 and 32 that face in opposite directions. Keeper plate 20, which is also in the form of a disc, is advantageously provided with a preferably rectangular slot 34 disposed with regard to pins 28 so as to be aligned with an aperture 35 provided in rail 32. The shape of slot 34 is such as to matingly receive head 36 of bolt member 18. As

illustrated, both slot 34 and head 36 have substantially rectangular configurations.

An eye 38 is provided in head 36 for redeiving the, for example, shackle 40 of a conventional padlock 42, and the like. When shackle 40 is arranged in eye 38, it will be appreciated that keeper plate 20 may not be removed from recesses 30 so as to permit head 36 to be rotated and unthread the screw threads of bolt member 18 from the threaded hole 22. Thus, as long as shackle 40 is retained in eye 38, doors l2 and 14 may not be moved relative to one another.

As will be appreciated from the above description and from the drawing, there should be no space between keeper plate 20 and shackle 40 when the latter is positioned in eye 38. Further, pins 28 must be of sufficient length to assure that they will stay engaged in their associated recesses 30 while shackle 40 is arranged in eye 38.

When installing a locking device 10 according to the present invention, latch plate 16 may first be mounted in the illustrated manner and bolt member 18 threadingly engaged with plate 16. Then keeper plate 20 may be placed over head 36 of bolt member 18 and marks made on rail 32 by pins 28. The two pinholes may now 3 be drilled in rail 32 so as to form recesses for receiving pins 28.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A sliding door locking device, comprising, in combination:

a. a latch plate;

b. a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in sliding doors to be locked for engaging the latch plate, the latter arranged adjacent one of the doors; and

c. a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate, the latch plate being provided with a threaded hole, and the bolt member being a headed, threaded bolt which threadingly engages in the threaded hole of the latch plate, the latter being mounted on the one of the doors with the threaded hole being aligned with the one of the apertures associated with the one of the doors, the keeper plate being provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and with a slot arranged for receiving the head of a bolt.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the bolt head is provided with an eye arranged for receiving the shackle of a lock.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2, wherein there are a pair of codirectional pins on the keeper plate, and the slot in the keeper plate and the head of the bolt have mating rectangular configurations.

4. A sliding door locking device, comprising, in combination:

a. a latch plate;

b. a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in sliding doors to be locked for engaging the latch plate, the latter arranged adjacent one of the doors; and

c. a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate, the keeper plate being provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and with a slot arranged for receiving a head of the bolt member.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein the head of the bolt member is provided with an eye arranged for receiving the shackle of a lock.

6. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein there are a pair of codirectional pins on the keeper plate, and the slot in the keeper plate and the head of the bolt member have mating rectangular configurations.

7. In combination with a pair of sliding doors, a sliding door locking device, comprising, in combination:

a. a latch plate mounted on one of the sliding doors;

b. a bolt member arrangeable in aligned aperture in the sliding doors for engaging the latch plate; and

c. a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the sliding doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate, the keeper plate being provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and with a slot arranged for receiving a head of the bolt member.

8. A structure as defined in claim 7, wherein the latch plate is provided with a threaded hole, and the bolt member is a headed, threaded bolt which threadingly engages in the threaded hole of the latch plate, the latter being mounted on the one of the doors with the threaded hole being aligned with the one of the apertures associated with the one of the doors. 

1. A sliding door locking device, comprising, in combination: a. a latch plate; b. a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in sliding doors to be locked for engaging the latch plate, the latter arranged adjacent one of the doors; and c. a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate, the latch plate being provided with a threaded hole, and the bolt member being a headed, threaded bolt which threadingly engages in the threaded hole of the latch plate, the latter being mounted on the one of the doors with the threaded hole being aligned with the one of the apertures associated with the one of the doors, the keeper plate being provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and with a slot arranged for receiving the head of a bolt.
 2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the bolt head is provided with an eye arranged for receiving the shackle of a lock.
 3. A structure as defined in claim 2, wherein there are a pair of codirectional pins on the keeper plate, and the slot in the keeper plate and the head of the bolt have mating rectangular configurations.
 4. A sliding door locking device, comprising, in combination: a. a latch plate; b. a bolt member arrangeable in aligned apertures in sliding doors to be locked for engaging the latch plate, the latter arranged adjacent one of the doors; and c. a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate, the keeper plate being provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and with a slot arranged for receiving a head of the bolt member.
 5. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein the head of the bolt member is provided with an eye arranged for receiving the shackle of a lock.
 6. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein there are a pair of codirectional pins on the keeper plate, and the slot in the keeper plate and the head of the bolt member have mating rectangular configurations.
 7. In combination with a pair of sliding doors, a sliding door locking device, comprising, in combination: a. a latch plate mounted on one of the sliding doors; b. a bolt member arrangeable in aligned aperture in the sliding doors for engaging the latch plate; and c. a keeper plate arrangeable adjacent the other of the sliding doors for restraining the bolt member and maintaining same in engagement with the latch plate, the keeper plate being provided with at least one pin selectively arrangeable in a recess provided in the other of the doors, and with a slot arranged for receiving a head of the bolt member.
 8. A structure as defined in claim 7, wherein the latch plate is provided with a threaded hole, and the bolt member is a headed, threaded bolt which threadingly engages in the threaded hole of the latch plate, the latter being mounted on the one of the doors with the threaded hole being aligned with the one of the apertures associated with the one of the doors. 